**HEIRLOOM**

Despite the American tendency to use the terms "muskmelon" and cantaloupe" interchangeably, this is a true cantaloupe, something actually quite uncommon in this country. Native to France, where it is prized, this melon was grown in the US as early as 1850. We find most people mistake it for a winter squash at market for its unusual lumpy skin and squat shape. The drought tolerant plants prefer a dry season to reach their best quality. True cantaloupes do not slip when ripe. We pick ours when the skin starts to turn from slate grey to blush tan and becomes fragrant. Food historian William Woys Weaver recommends picking them slightly earlier and ripening them on a windowsill for the sweetest fruit. Ethereal, intoxicating fragrance and very thick flesh.
85 days.
Packet: 25 seeds, additional bulk sizes.

WG